Comfort
by Fire of the Angel
Summary: She was...hurt...Gods, she was in pain, but, Inuyasha wasn’t there...He wasn’t there...She needed someone...anyone. She -needed- to be held...needed to be comforted...Where was Inuyasha...? Who would comfort her now? KougaKagome


Summary: She was...hurt...Gods, she was in pain, but, Inuyasha wasn't there...He wasn't there...She needed someone...anyone. She -needed- to be held...needed to be comforted...Where was Inuyasha...? Who would comfort her now? Kouga/Kagome  
  
I do not own Inuyasha, nor do I claim to.  
  
*  
  
Comfort  
  
*  
  
"One, two, buckle my shoe..."  
  
It was cold, wet, and her body felt like a huge block of ice as it lied next to the river. Her eyes were glazed over, and the world around her was shifting in and out of focus. Her hands curled around the grass in her palm as she lied on her stomach, and she barely noticed the mud squelching between her fingers at the action.  
  
"Three, four, shut the door..."  
  
She was numb with emotional pain and she couldn't bring herself to leave the unfeeling void she had created for herself. Her family, her Mom, Grandpa, Souta and even Buyo, had been murdered. She had come home from the Warring States era to find police officers circling the Higurashi shrine, poking around for evidence that would lead them to the killers. But she already knew who had done it...a demon had slain her family, looking for the sacred jewel that was secured against her throat.  
  
"Five, six, pick up sticks..."  
  
She was signing softly to herself, trying to calm her erratic heartbeat; trying to giver herself some comfort, for she knew that she wouldn't be receiving any from her friends. They had left as soon as she went back home for a few days to try and find more jewel fragments on their own. She was in so much pain...Inuyasha wasn't there to take it away that time...he wasn't there when she needed him the most.  
  
"Seven, eight, lay them straight..."  
  
Her hand, which had been grasping the long grass, moved up to wipe a drop of rain out of her eye. Her hand met warm water, which certainly wasn't coming from the crying heavens, and she pulled it back to examine her fingertips. She vaguely noted that she was crying, and as she finished her song, her body became limp with exhaustion.  
  
"Nine...ten...let's...do it...again..."  
  
The rain kept its consistent tirade against the ground; it's blinding curtain hiding the small, limp, almost lifeless form of the unconscious miko. It's normally calming sounds did nothing to aid her emotional agony, and she herself was slipping into a world that was black, numb and free of all feeling.  
  
*  
  
Kouga growled impatiently as one of his underlings came scampering into the cave, his eyes darting everywhere except to his leader's face. He had strictly told them all to leave him alone; he was not feeling at all well, and he disliked the idea of his pack-mates seeing him in moments of vulnerability.  
  
He had no idea what had brought on his ill feelings, but something wasn't right to him. He had held anticipation in his stomach, and his nerves were frayed to the point that he was snapping at anything that moved. His feelings grew as the wolf youkai that was one of his underlings approached him on his bedding, his throat clearly visible to his leader.  
  
"What is it?" Kouga growled out. He was in no mood for petty disturbances.  
  
The young wolf before him kneeled, his head bowed in a sign of submission. "I know you said that you were not to be bothered, but there is something that the pack believes you should see to in the women den..."  
  
"If it is about pups, they can see to it themselves." It was not his job to see to the birthing of pups, even if it was his job to protect them.  
  
The young wolf trembled for a moment before lifting his head a bit. "Sir, we've found a human girl - "  
  
Kouga interrupted him. "Kill her if she has been trespassing." Normally, he wouldn't care about a human in his lands, but today he was feeling exceptionally uneasy, a feeling that grew every moment he sat there.  
  
"But sir, she looks like the Lady Kagome..."  
  
Electric blue eyes widened before he snapped at his underling to take him to the girl. If it was Kagome, he wanted to know why she was on his lands...Inuyasha most certainly wouldn't approve of her going there...  
  
Deep inside him, his chest tightened, and a small voice in his head hoped that she wasn't hurt...  
  
*  
  
The moment he caught her scent, and the sight of her face, Kouga clenched his fists and cursed Inuyasha into the deepest pits of hell...How dare that mutt let Kagome wind up in that state...Her hair was soaked, hanging limply over her face; her skin was pale, tinged with blue; he could see that very little life was left inside her exhausted body; the weak rise and fall of her chest seemed to be the only thing that was noting that she was still alive.  
  
The few women in his pack, maybe four or five, were trying to warm her without having to remove her strange clothing. Kouga knew their efforts were futile though. The clinging green and white pieces of fabric were icy. The women looked up at him when he came near to the straw lined bed, and respectfully backed away when he moved closer to Kagome's sleeping body. He sniffed the air around her slowly, wincing as he noted the normally light and airy scent of flowers was mixed with the heavy stench of sickness. He dropped to his knees and brushed a strand of wet hair away from her face. Her response was to stir gently before blinking pain clouded eyes up at him. In a rare moment of softness, Kouga smiled and gently traced her cheek with a clawed finger.  
  
It took her a moment to notice who he was, and she gave a small smile as she slipped back into the world of sleep, his name softly on her lips. "...Kouga..."  
  
He stood from her side and looked over to the women. "Heal her," was all he snapped before he growled deeply in his throat and setting out into the icy rains himself, intent on finding Inuyasha and making the half-breed answer some questions.  
  
*  
  
Needless to say Inuyasha was quite surprised when the wolf prince came whirling into his camp, furious and smelling of an ill Kagome...  
  
Kouga marched over to Inuyasha, and before he, or any other member of their group could react, pulled back his fist and let a furious punch fly. Inuyasha was on his feet after a moment, and rested his hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga angrily.  
  
"What the hell was that for!? And why do you smell like Kagome!?"  
  
Kouga smirked. "I smell of the girl because she is currently in the protection of my pack."  
  
Inuyasha looked at him with disbelief. "She went home."  
  
"Obviously not, and you were an idiot to leave her alone! Stupid mutt, she was found on the edge of my lands. I don't think that's anywhere near her 'home'."  
  
Kouga turned away, his need for revenge still boiling, but the need to be with Kagome was stronger at the moment, and he couldn't rid himself of the image of her slightly blue skin...  
  
Inuyasha tried to follow him but, in a burst of wind, he was gone, leaving the dog hanyou to seethe alone with the company of Miroku, Sango and Shippo.  
  
*  
  
By the time he was back, Kagome had been stripped of her odd clothing and was covered with many animal pelts, trying to warm her still freezing form. He quietly snuck into the den, and sat himself on the straw bedding above her head. The women were sitting some yards away, tending to some yipping wolf pups, all minding their own business, with the occasional glance over to see if their patient was ok.  
  
Kouga watched over her carefully, noting with a small bit of happiness that her skin was pinking up. He took the time to wonder how she had gotten like this. His pack mates had told him that they had found her asleep next to a river in the pouring rain, her seemingly having been there for hours. Her skin had been blue, and they all could tell that she had been crying; the rain hadn't washed away the strong scent of tears that had bombarded her body.  
  
Reaching out to touch her still wet hair, he couldn't help but wonder at what had caused her tears. And if it had anything to do with that dumb-ass of a hanyou, he would be marching back there and killing himself some dog.  
  
Kagome moved a bit, a frown crossing over her features as she reached out for something blindly. "Momma..."  
  
Kouga blushed a bit when he noticed that a bit of the blanket had fallen down to reveal a creamy shoulder and smooth neck. Turning his head away, he gently bent over her to pull the blanket up around her chin. His hand brushed against her flesh and he pulled back abruptly. His palm felt as though someone had taken a hot coal and pressed it into his fist. One of the women noticed his expression of confusion. He was staring at his palm, and kept looking back and forth between it and her shoulder. The woman knelt down, pressed a hand against Kagome's forehead, and gasped; she was burning up! A temperature that high was dangerous, too.  
  
Things began to become frantic then. All of the women were scurrying about, each gathering something to aid the fever, or to get more blankets. Kouga had been pushed away from Kagome when he had growled fiercely at one of the women for lifting the girl to her shoulders, pressing the miko's head against her shoulder as they wiped her back with cool water. Even though a woman was holding her, Kouga couldn't help the wave of possessiveness that invaded his senses when they came near. Deciding that he would not leave her side, yet he wanted to stay out of the way lest he hinder someone in aiding her, he sat himself as close to the wall as he could manage and followed the women's movements with an extremely observant blue eye. If one of them hurt even a hair on Kagome's body, they would be facing their leader, who was bound to be upset; he didn't care if they were the few females that could reproduce in his pack, they would pay if they hurt her in any way.  
  
*  
  
They allowed him to come nearer to her after a few hours. They looked grave, and refused to meet his eyes as they explained that there was nothing more that they could do for her. If the fever didn't break, she would die within a few days time.  
  
Kouga whined softly as he moved over to touch Kagome's face. This young woman, a young woman who had captivated his heart, wouldn't be there much longer. The thought made his stomach turn. He had wanted to make her love him; had wanted to make her his mate. If she died, not only would his wishes be unfulfilled, but he knew that the stupid mutt that she traveled with would come back and attempt to kill him.  
  
What was he to do? He didn't want to lose her, but there was nothing in his physical limits that he could help her with.  
  
Still whining softly, he reverted into his wolf form and curled up against her side, his head lying on her shoulder. After all, what would she say to him if she woke up and found a full-grown wolf youkai sleeping on her?  
  
*  
  
I hope you all liked the first chapter.  
  
*Challenge Request*  
  
I am currently out of ideas for writing and am in desperate need of assistance. I would like for people to send me some fic ideas, one shot requests, and ideas for future writings.  
  
If you would like an Inuyasha fiction written, please email me with your suggestion or place a review. If it is romance, I will accept the Kouga/Kagome pairing as well as Inuyasha/Kagome. I prefer to write romance and angst fiction, and I can write humor and drama if I put my mind to it. I am also willing to do songfiction, if there is a certain song you would like to be written out as such.  
  
When you send an idea, please make sure it is understandable. If you want to, you can send me a summary or even an outline of what you wish to be done.  
  
Please help me in my time of need. I would appreciate any and -all- help that I get.  
  
Thank you all again, and I am eagerly awaiting your suggestions,  
  
Fire Of The Angel  
  
I can be emailed at FireOfTheAngel03@aol.com  
  
Please review and don't flame. 


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